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Defense Department Will Lift Policy Excluding Women from Combat

Case: Service Women's Action Network v. Esper
January 23, 2013 4:28 pm
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“We are thrilled to hear Secretary Panetta’s announcement today recognizing that qualified women will have the same chance to distinguish themselves in combat as their brothers-in-arms, which they actually already have been doing with valor and distinction,” said Ariela Migdal, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “But we welcome this statement with cautious optimism, as we hope that it will be implemented fairly and quickly so that servicewomen can receive the same recognition for their service as their male counterparts.”

For more information please visit: www.aclu.org/womens-rights/hegar-et-al-v-panetta

Women in the Military

Service Women's Action Network v. Esper

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Northern California and the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP are representing four servicewomen and the Service Women's Action Network in challenging the Defense Department's longstanding policy and practice barring women from thousands of ground combat positions, military occupational specialties, and schools, simply because they are women.

Source: American Civil Liberties Union

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